2. “Per aspera
ad astra.”
[Through adversity
to the stars]
Stevens Family Motto
CO M BI N E D A N N UA L RE PO RT • 2005- 2007
3
3. section name leg
ac contents
y
of
Stevens Circular Railroad Track, Castle Point, cr
intro
1825
e
Yacht America Message From the President 6
1851
at
Message From the Chairman 7
iv
complex world
e
Hazeltine’s Neutrodyne Receiver The Paradox of Technology 10
in
1923 A Network That Reads Minds 13
ve
Quantum Leaps into New Realms of Photonics 15
nti
secure world
A More Secure World 18
vene
Maritime Security Transforms Harbor into Lab 21
interconnected world
An Interconnected World 24
ss
Online Learning Gets Personal 25
Taming the Cognitive Cell Phone Jungle 27
No Borders for Engineering Students with a Cause 28
Engineering Turns on K-12 Students 29
PredatorVision System
1999 Capillary Discharge
Non-Thermal Plasma,
small world
2007
Big Benefits from a Small World 32
Simple Machines Pave Way to Tomorrow’s Nanomachines 35
Putting Nanotubes on the Scales 36
New Research to Reduce Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria
and Implant Infection 37
entrepreneurial world
Competing Successfully in Today’s Innovative Entrepreneurial World 40
Majoring in Breadth 42
CO M BI N E D A N N UA L RE PO RT • 2005- 2007
Building Bridges Across the Hudson 44
S TE VE N S I N S TI T UT E O F TE CH N O L O GY
2005
Attila Radio
a world of achievement
A World of Achievement 48
Modern Gantt Chart A Fine Ducks Season 50
Originated 1910-1915 Provost & University Vice President George P. Korfiatis 55
A Smooth Transition into Stevens’ World 56
Christos Christodoulatos Appointed Associate
Provost for Academic Entrepreneurship 57
4 5
4. section name
President Harold J. Raveché Chairman Lawrence T. Babbio, Jr.
The Stevens Institute of Technology students. We must also grow externally The Board of Trustees, along with the faculty for which Stevens adopted a
combined Annual Report for Fiscal sponsored faculty research from its pres- and administration, has spent considerable time much more detailed approach
Years 2005-2007, which you now ent level of approximately $30 million to developing a Strategic Positioning Plan (SPP), to budgeting and has signifi-
hold, is a significant testimonial to $50 million annually. the aim of which is to elevate Stevens’ posi- cantly improved its budget-
the continued strength and dyna- The university must also significantly tion among the highly regarded technological ing and forecasting practices,
mism of a changing and growing increase alumni annual giving from its research and educational institutions in the as reflected in the fiscal year
university. present level of approximately $2.5 million country. 2008 budget.
The increase of university- toward $4 million to $5 million by 2012, The SPP is focused on three research thrust Fiscal year 2007, as attest-
wide enrollment, the size of grad- so that more scholarship support can be areas for the university,` each encompassing ed by the audited financial
uating classes, the pool of highly provided to those outstanding students large, intersecting fields of academic endeavor, report at the end of this doc-
qualified undergraduate applica- seeking a Stevens education. Additionally, and dependent upon cross-disciplinary collabo- ument, shows a substantial
tions, the number of doctoral we must sustain the excellence of under- ration rooted in strong individual faculty schol- surplus before depreciation,
research students and externally graduate and master’s programs, and arship: the most substantial surplus
sponsored faculty research – all of attract a larger cadre of outstanding doc- • Systems and enterprise management in recent years. The Trustees
these rising indices bode well for toral research students. and architecture believe this turn of events is
Stevens’ continued ascent among Perhaps of most immediate impor- This is an emerging academic discipline, further evidence of the effec-
the nation’s leading research uni- tance, we must prepare to launch a trans- combining important fields of science, engi- tiveness of new financial prac-
versities. These gains are enabled formative endowment-building capital neering and technology management. tices and controls that have
and driven by the ever-increasing campaign with the committed participa- • Security – maritime, cyber, informa- been enacted and reinforced
excellence of faculty scholarship, tion of alumni and other friends, to ensure tion and communications networks during the past several years.
the academic achievements of that Stevens’ resources accrue healthily Homeland security and the containment of A significant issue fac-
the student body and efforts of and competitively into the 21st century global insurgency are important national pri- ing Stevens is the size of the
the dedicated administrative staff and beyond. orities. The US needs to achieve continuous advances in innovative endowment. Although the performance of the endowment has
who are committed to serving our academic community. Further, with the strong endorsement of the Board of technologies to help combat terrorist threats. been competitive versus our national peer groups, the size of the
To further advance the standing of Stevens, and secure the Trustees and faculty, a new academic leadership position has • Multi-scale engineering, science and technology endowment is too small. The Trustees and the President are in the
underlying financials for the future, the university has under- been created to ensure success in the SPP and fiscal manage- Significant advances are anticipated in practical solutions to process of studying the possibility of launching a significant cam-
taken the development and implementation of the Strategic ment of university priorities. Dr. George P. Korfiatis was named humanity’s everyday needs. They include research in engineering, paign that will be focused primarily on doubling the endowment
Positioning Plan (SPP). The overarching goals of the plan to be Provost and University Vice President, the second most senior science and technology management at the micro- and nanoscale by the year 2012. This is a very ambitious goal and will require the
realized are: position of the Institute. – for areas as diverse as pharmaceutical and biomedical products, financial support from all alumni.
• To continue the gains in excellence of our undergraduate With input and guidance from a Faculty Task Force, as well engineered materials, alternative energy sources, agricultural bio- The combination of academic, research and financial goals pres-
and master’s education; as members of the Board of Trustees, a new academstructure technology and safeguarding the world’s environmental resources. ent some very imposing challenges. Establishing financial stability
• To grow sponsored research and doctoral education with has been established to further the ascent of the Institute Initiatives in all of these critically important areas have been under and significantly increasing the size of the endowment are key objec-
emphasis on cross-disciplinary academics; through the SPP. The re-designation of the Schaefer School of way and gaining momentum at Stevens. By focusing resources on tives that can only be accomplished through an integrated approach
CO M BI N E D A N N UA L RE PO RT • 2005- 2007
CO M BI N E D A N N UA L RE PO RT • 2005- 2007
• To sustain strong management and financial controls; Engineering & Science, the creation of the School of Systems & cross-disciplinary communities for learning and research, Stevens will using all the resources of faculty, administration, trustees and alumni.
• To increase the endowment from its present value of Enterprises and the College of Arts & Letters, and the contin- maximize its impact and make its presence felt. It is critical to the future of Stevens.
S TE VE N S I N S TI T UT E O F TE CH N O L O GY
approximately $150 million as of June 30, 2007 toward $500 ued enhancement of the Wesley J. Howe School of Technology The university’s underlying business indicators remain strong Creating an environment where research and excellent edu-
million; and Management will align Stevens’ educational and research pri- and have shown marked improvement. Undergraduate and gradu- cational opportunities go hand in hand is equally challenging, but
• To be recognized as one of the nation’s top research orities with those of the SPP. ate enrollments have exceeded expectations, applications have necessary if we are to attract both the student body and the faculty
universities by funding agencies, corporations, foundations, Most assuredly, as you review the pages that follow, you increased substantially and the endowment has continued to appre- that will enhance the reputation and output of the university.
prospective faculty and students, alumni and other academic will come to appreciate that the foundations for future great- ciate substantially. On the operating side, i.e., while fiscal year 2006 The Board of Trustees is fully committed to working with all the
institutions. ness are already clearly defined at today’s Stevens Institute of met tuition revenue expectations and expenses were contained, involved groups so that these goals are achieved in the next five-year
Success in meeting these challenges is based on the collec- Technology. there was an overall deficit, which was driven by a number of fac- period.
tive success of different sectors of the Institute-wide commu- tors, including a shortfall in miscellaneous revenue against budget,
nity in achieving key objectives, such as building communities and, to a lesser extent, a change in an accounting principle.
of research and creative enterprise among the faculty and It should be noted that fiscal year 2006 was the first year
6 7
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se ti n a
c o cmop ln emxe w o r l d
9
CO M BI N E D A N N UA L RE PO RT • 2005- 2007
6. complex
adds. “Stevens students are highly sought after. The best
The Paradox of Technology opportunities come to their doorstep because they are not just
technically savvy; their soft skills are strong as well. We help
them develop confidence and start them on the process of
being successful. We take leadership seriously; we want them
to have it.”
A technology is conceived to simplify something Systems Engineering and
– a repetitive task, a knotty problem, an idea no Enterprise Architecture are
longer incomprehensible but not yet obvious.
Core Strengths Computer Science Makes Strides
However, new technologies by their
nature increase the complexity of our world. Cybersecurity has been one critical area of study in Computer
Dealing with this paradox is a crucial part Stevens is renowned for its Systems Science in the past several years (see Secure World, page 16).
of the Stevens mission. Engineering and Enterprise Architecture, Another is Proof-Carrying Code (PCC), a technique that allows
Our university’s engineers, scientists, man- the largest graduate-level program in the the safe execution of untrusted code. Adriana Compagnoni, an
agers and students combine their individual United States. Systems engineering is “a core assistant professor of Computer Science, chaired the International
strengths with those of partners in business strength and a key investment area in coming Workshop on Proof-Carrying Code, which brought together lead-
and government to transform complex ideas into years,” affirms Dr. George Korfiatis, Provost & ers from academia and industry to promote the collaboration
workable forms. University Vice President. between those adapting PCC ideas to new industrial applications
Stevens is well suited for the task, says President Systems engineering brings together people with and experts in logic, type theory, programming languages, static
Harold J. Raveché, by “its rich legacy of broad-based education multi-disciplinary skills and leverages those various disci- analysis and compilers.
and the distinctive approach of Technogenesis, which integrates plines and skills to solve today’s multifaceted problems, explain As phishing and pharming become more prevalent, research-
education, research and the launching of new businesses based Dr. Dinesh Verma, Professor and Dean of the School of Systems ers at Stevens have taken steps to mitigate the risk posed by such
on the intellectual property of the Institute in concert with external & Enterprises. “It’s where the aspects of science and manage- online threats.
partners.” ment come together.” Susanne Wetzel, an Assistant Professor, and Liu Yang, a
Recently, this open and collaborative approach has produced With concerns about terrorism and the need for complex Research Scholar, both in the Stevens’ Department of Computer
important advances in security, biomedical engineering and com- homeland security measures, “recognition of the need for sys- Science, presented their research findings at the Anti-Phishing
munications. tems engineering has accelerated in last three to six years and Working Group (APWG) eCrime Researchers Summit in Orlando,
we have positioned ourselves well to take advantage of it,” Fla.
Verma adds. The APWG joined with the Florida Department of Law
Stevens starts early to educate students “about the con- Enforcement, the Florida State University and the University of Clockwise from above: Dr. Lex McCusker, Dean of the Howe School of
cept of systems engineering so that boundaries evaporate,” Central Florida to host its first-ever research summit. The confer- Technology Management; Professor Adriana Compagnioni; Professor
says Beth McGrath, Director of the Center for Innovation in ence presented original, unpublished research results, as well Susanne Wetzel.
Engineering and Science Education (CIESE). “We want them
to think about the life cycle of the system, from conception to
demise. We try to get them to build a conceptual appreciation
for this approach.”
These topics are more often addressed at the graduate level
but “it’s important to start the process early” McGrath says. To
that end, the Institute has revised the undergraduate engineer-
CO M BI N E D A N N UA L RE PO RT • 2005- 2007
ing degree.
S TE VE N S I N S TI T UT E O F TE CH N O L O GY
Now in its second year, “students seem pleased with the
changes,” says Keith Sheppard, Professor and Associate Dean
of the School of Engineering and Sciences. The changes have
added flexibility and choice in core science requirements,
“which helps students who are still exploring interests in dif-
ferent engineering fields.”
For undergraduates to be able work in the real world they
have to learn to ask ‘who are the stakeholders?’ They have to
think along those lines, not just think of it as a project they’re
Dr. George P. Korfiatis, recently appointed Provost & University Vice working on,” says Lynn Insley, Director of Career Development.
President. Stevens Institute’s well-integrated approach pays off, Insley
10 11
7. comi ln
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as best practices in the area of online fraud. Participants also sible through warkitting exceeds current estimates of credential A Network that Reads Minds
explored research gaps, opportunities and challenges, including theft due to phishing.”
the state-of-the-art with respect to forensic practices for inves- By bringing together academics, law enforcement and Computer networks are getting smarter. They recognize
tigating scams based on phishing, pharming and crimeware. IT Security practitioners, the summit facilitated collaborations new equipment, guide users through setup and help with
They also discussed innovative ideas related to eCrime mitigation between PIs and centers of research developing eCrime forensics, security. Even a novice can install one at home, though it
efforts. as well as eCrime countering technologies. may take a few calls to the help line.
Wetzel and Yang presented findings from their paper, Yet today’s networks come nowhere near the vision
“Warkitting: The Drive-By Subversion of Wireless Routers,” writ- of Victor Lawrence, Director of the Center for Intelligent
ten in collaboration with Alex Tsow, Visiting Research Associate, Howe School Handles Business/ Networked Systems (iNetS). iNetS’s goal is to embed
and Markus Jakobsson, Associate Director, CACR, both from Technology Balance intelligence at all levels of the network. This will give the
Indiana University. network the ability to reason, plan, solve problems, think
“In this paper, we introduce the notion of warkitting as the The Wesley J. Howe School of Technology Management abstractly, comprehend complex ideas, learn quickly and
drive-by subversion of wireless home routers through unauthor- has matured as an internationally respected academy that learn from experience.
ized access by mobile WiFi clients,” said Wetzel. “Until recently, effectively equips technology managers to lead and innovate By combining intelligence with sensors, Lawrence
the perceived risk of wireless routers has centered on unauthor- in today’s complex business world. hopes to transform today’s networks into virtual butlers
ized network and bandwidth use. However, as we illustrate in this A new dean was appointed from the ranks: Lex McCusker, who anticipate their masters’ every command.
paper, the risks are far greater. former Acting Dean and Associate Dean for Administration at “Imagine a common task, like talking on the phone
“Our analysis shows that it is possible in practice to carry the Howe School. McCusker brings a long history of high-level with all my direct reports,” Lawrence relates. “Today, the
out warkitting attacks with low-cost equipment widely available technology management responsibilities and project oversight, network will dial one number and then the next and the
today,” she continued. “And the volume of credential theft pos- principally in the field of telecommunications. next.
continued on page 12 “But suppose we make the network intelligent
enough to provide real help. It could find each person,
whether they were on their phones, radios or computers.
It would ensure their devices are compatible and set up a
conference call.
“It would recognize speech commands, provide
instantaneous translation, sense facial expressions to
express nuance and even take notes. When we hang up,
the network would distribute minutes and action items Dr. Victor Lawrence directs the Center for Intelligent
and retrieve additional information.” Networked Systems. nulla consectet ullaoreetue commodi
Equatue magnim
Like any intelligent entity, the network would manage onummod dolor acinis nos nonsectet irit, si. Gait vel erilla
itself. It could automatically reconfigure itself to keep video and infrared cameras into security systems that see
feugait lum
traffic flowing in case of failure. It would monitor the in the dark and tell what someone has recently touched
world around it with cameras, acoustic monitors, and by its heat signature. Another group is investigating
motion sensors. “These end-points will be intelligent and sensors that extend battery life by waking themselves up
autonomous,” says Lawrence, “so an acoustic monitor will when they detect an event they should monitor.
recognize your voice and a camera will track you so it can Other researchers are looking at ways networks can
anticipate your needs.” inoculate themselves against unknown hacking threats
Could a virtual butler turn into an electronic spy? by monitoring and prevent anomalies from spreading.
CO M BI N E D A N N UA L RE PO RT • 2005- 2007
CO M BI N E D A N N UA L RE PO RT • 2005- 2007
“These type of privacy issues are inherent with the level Still others are developing cognitive radios that find
S TE VE N S I N S TI T UT E O F TE CH N O L O GY
of intelligence and sharing we envision,” Lawrence warns. unused frequencies in the radio spectrum for emergency
“But the technology is coming and we cannot uninvent use.
it. Instead, we think we can use sensors and intelligence The ultimate goal of iNetS, says Lawrence, is to
to provide more privacy and security, so no one can transform information into useful knowledge. “This will
impersonate you on the network.” truly help networks improve education and healthcare,
Lawrence admits that researchers have only begun boost energy efficiency, enhance financial reliability, and
to scratch the surface of this bold vision. iNetS, for secure and defend our civilization.
example, has several programs that to develop smart “We’re starting small,” says Lawrence, “but we think
end-point sensors. One research group seeks to combine intelligent networks are going to evolve quickly.”
Professor Larry Bernstein shares his wealth of knowledge in software engineering gained during a distinguished career in high-tech industry.
12 13
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continued from page 10
In May, 2006, student from it is trapped by total internal reflection. The cavity fun-
the Business & Technology Quantum Leaps into New Realms nels the light in a very narrow output mode, an entirely
undergraduate degree pro- of Photonics geometrical collection-enhancement effect. A second
gram became the first to attend phenomenon is the Purcell effect. When the quantum-
classes in the new Lawrence T. Stefan Strauf, Assistant Professor in the Department of dot emission is spatially and spectrally resonant with the
Babbio, Jr. Center. Physics & Engineering Physics, along with colleagues cavity mode, the single-photon emission is increased, in
The Howe School’s from the University of California, Santa Barbara and our case by a factor of two to five,” he explained.
progress has been noted. Leiden University (Netherlands), has authored the article, Strauf’s approach to approach to cavity design is
It was cited as among the “High-frequency single-photon source with polarization somewhat unusual. But, his approach does offer advan-
“World’s Elite Research control,” the cover article of the December 2007 issue tages over more common cavity design.
Institutions in Management of Nature Photonics (www.nature.com/nphoton/journal/ “One common cavity design is the micropillar, cre-
of Technology” by the v1/n12/abs/nphoton.2007.227.html). ated by etching through alternating layers of semicon-
International Association for The article reports on important advances in high- ductor to form a cylindrical structure with a diameter of
Management of Technology. performance single-photon sources that bring such one micrometre or less. Unfortunately the etching results
And the school hosted the possibilities closer to reality. In particular, single photons in rough sidewalls that scatter light, which limits the time
2006 annual Technology can be used to implement absolutely secure optical that the cavity contains a photon — as quantified by the
Management Education communication, also known as Quantum Cryptography. Q-factor. So we thought, why not have a large device
Association (TMEDA) The E2 Research Project Team: (l.-r.) Lechler, McCusker and Christodoulatos. With this new source, recording a single-photon signa- and confine the mode a different way?” said Strauf.
technology management ture that took eight hours five years back can now be “At the University of California, Santa Barbara,
workshop. achieved on a millisecond time scale. This remarkable where this research was performed, we built on exten-
Stevens is quick to respond to industry needs with specialized “The E2-Lab is in the next phase in the evolution of the progress was achieved by developing a novel type of sive expertise in confining oxidetapers, which are used at
programs that meet their needs, McCusker notes. The Howe Stevens-wide Technogenesis® initiative designed to create a microcavity structure which strongly enhances the light present inside vertical-cavity lasers. In our single-photon
School has begun offering a new master’s degree in pharmaceutical broad-based culture of academic entrepreneurship within the extraction from the optically active material. Moreover, sources such an oxide taper narrows down the optical-
manufacturing to address the needs of engineers, technologists and Institute,” said Christodoulatos. with the help of embedded electrical gates, the research- mode volume but does not introduce the scattering
scientists in the healthcare manufacturing industry (pharmaceutical, Furthermore, McCusker said, a network of organizations ers demonstrated suppression of unwanted dead-times losses, giving a Q-factor as high as 50,000. The larger
biotechnology, medical device, personal care product manufacturers contributing to the E2-Lab will be a crucial part of its successful in the emission process itself resulting in a net single devices also have the advantage that they are not as brit-
and related GMP-driven industries). In keeping with Stevens’ implementation. “Beyond the initial funding stage,” he said, “it photon generation rate of 100 tle as the pillars, making them
emphasis on bringing together diverse skills, the degree is supported will be critical to maintain the participation of these partners. This MHz into an optical fiber. more practical, and allowing us
by the School of Engineering and Science. will be accomplished by the long-term attributes of the E2-Lab, “The traditional approach to to attach electrical contacts,”
Stevens also has been awarded a two-year grant of $569,853 the creation of value for all participating parties resulting in an generating single photons is to Strauf’s coauthors
Equatue magnim nulla consectet ullaoreetue commodi on
from the National Science Foundation. This grant will be used economically self-maintaining endeavor that becomes viable use weak laser pulses. To reach onummod dolor acinis nosthe nonsectet irit,NickGait vel erilla
paper are si. G. Stoltz
to develop an Environmental Entrepreneurship (E2) Program independent of government funding.” the single-photon level, you have feugait lum (Materials Department,
at Stevens. McCusker will serve as the project’s Principal According to the team, the E2-Lab intends to re-define to attenuate the light very strong- University of California, Santa
Investigator. Co-Principal Investigators at Stevens are Dr. Thomas the traditional university-industry technology transfer process ly, limiting the efficiency of the Barbara); Matthew T. Rakher
Lechler, Associate Professor of Technology Management, and Dr. and to create an unconventional entrepreneurial solution, the device. Also, the photons emitted (Department of Physics,
Christos Christodoulatos, Professor and Director of the Center for E2-Innovation-Transfer Process. Other perspectives and knowl- are governed by statistics. What University of California, Santa
Environmental Systems. Dr. Kurt Becker, of Polytechnic University, edge areas have to be integrated into the innovation process. we need is a high-efficiency source Barbara); Larry A. Coldren
will serve as the Principal investigator for the subawardee One important component in a successful innovation process where we can generate photons (Materials Department and the
institution. is the market knowledge that complements the scientific and one by one. Luckily, nature pro- ECE department, University
CO M BI N E D A N N UA L RE PO RT • 2005- 2007
CO M BI N E D A N N UA L RE PO RT • 2005- 2007
“This project aims to create and implement the Environmental technological knowledge. The traditional function and role of vides a solution in the form of the of California, Santa Barbara);
S TE VE N S I N S TI T UT E O F TE CH N O L O GY
Entrepreneurship Lab (E2-Lab) at Stevens to foster the rapid mar- universities makes them unlikely sources of the required specific two-level system, just like the one Pierre M. Petroff (Materials
ketplace realization of economically successful environmental market related knowledge. we use: self-assembled quantum Department and the ECE depart-
innovations that are capable of being adopted by existing com- “The E2-Lab will be an interdisciplinary university-wide endeav- dots,” said Strauf. ment, University of California,
panies or serve as bases for creating new ventures,” said Lechler. or,” said Christodoulatos. “It contains an educational component, in In his work, the quantum dots Santa Barbara); and Dirk
“The E2-Lab will be an unconventional, novel and rapid vehicle for which students learn to be comfortable and productive in interdisci- are in an optical microcavity. This Bouwmeester (Department of
the transformation of scientific breakthroughs and technological plinary, entrepreneurial environments that address present needs in is helpful for several reasons. Physics, University of California,
advances into innovations in the area of environmental technolo- addition to becoming the next-generation thinkers. “The very high refractive index Stefan Strauf, Assistant Professor in the Santa Barbara and Huygens
gies. By combining the technology push that characterizes conven- “This award comes in recognition of Stevens’ commitment to of most semiconductors means Physics and Engineering Physics depart- Laboratory, Leiden University,
tional technology transfer routes with the market pull, the team Technogenesis over the last 10 years,” he concluded, “and it will that light doesn’t want to get out; ment. the Netherlands).
expects to reduce the usual three- to four-year time frame for catalyze the implementation of Academic Entrepreneurship across
technology transfer to at most two years.” all Departments and Schools.”
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CO M BI N E D A N N UA L RE PO RT • 2005- 2007
10. s e c t iro n n a m e
u e
A More Secure World ● Another group worked to improve emergency communication
between blood banks and locals agencies. The Emergency
Communications system (ESC) project was a collaborative
effort of students in the Electrical & Computer Engineering
Department and the Business and Technology program.
Waves of ships transiting New York Harbor. model testing to include investigation of
Invisible waves of telecommunication unsteady maneuvering effects. The Office
moving through thousands of trans- of Naval Research awarded the lab - and Striving for Cybersecurity
mission points within line of sight of Professor Raju Datla, Research Associate
Castle Point. Professor in the Civil, Environmental Computers. Credit cards. Cell phones. Even car keys. So
These are daily concerns at & Ocean Engineering Department - a many things today contain information that needs to be kept
Stevens. Now they are more impor- $500,000 grant for the instrumentation. secure. Stevens is responding to that burgeoning need with
tant than ever. expanded research, programs and facilities.
Because of its location, its state- ● A new research vessel, the R/V A major sign of the university’s commitment is its decision
of-the-art facilities and its devoted Savitsky, specifically outfitted for work to become one of just a handful of universities offering an
researchers, Stevens has long been well in New York Harbor. The vessel contains undergraduate degree program in cybersecurity. The program
positioned to address security challenges, a 2,000-pound hydraulic A-Frame and a full provides a strong foundation in computer science, along
notes President Raveché. Recent years have suite of electronic navigation and communi- with the traditional broad Stevens education, covering all
seen an expansion of this commitment, particu- cations instrumentation and can take measure- components of security and cryptography. Other features are
larly in marine security and cybersecurity. ments of currents, salinity, temperature and dissolved a privacy class and foundations in cryptography. The experi-
oxygen. Professor Emeritus Dr. Daniel Savitsky, who has mental venue for the program is a Cybersecurity Lab that is
nearly 60 years experience at the laboratory, wished his being built on the sixth floor of the new Babbio Center for
Maritime Security Lab Founded, namesake “at least as many years of productive research Technology Management.
Davidson Lab Completed as I have been fortunate to have experienced at Stevens.” “While cryptographers strive to develop the best secu-
rity solution possible, actual implementations of theoretical
In partnership with the US Navy the university has established All these changes “really put us in a tremendous position concepts often fail due to technological limitations, cost
the Maritime Security Laboratory (MSL), based in the Center for to integrate all the technology that has to do with maritime restraints and human factors that were not part of the initial
Maritime Systems. research,” on marine security, hurricane safety and environmen- design process,” says Computer Science Professor Susanne
To demonstrate MSL’s unique role, a multi-disciplinary, inten- tal dangers, says Dr. Alan F. Blumberg, Director of the Center for Wetzel. She explains that for a solution to be practical, “the
sive project on the detection and classification of moving under- Maritime Systems. end user must be able and willing to use it. From an eco-
water objects has been commissioned, using threat assessment Bruno and the university were honored with the Outstanding nomical point of view, a solution must provide a substantial
algorithms, control algorithms, systems-level data management Partner Award by the Jersey Shore Partnership for research- monetary benefit to the customer. In order to allow for these
and fusion. ing and evaluating methods of shore protection, coastal storm complex issues to be better addressed, an education in cyber-
The $3-million renovation of the Center for Maritime Systems’ monitoring and coastal hazard education and prevention. And security must integrate science, technology and management.
Davidson Laboratory high-speed towing tank is now complete. Bruno, along with Blumberg and Stevens Trustee Dr. Stephen T. In this regard, creating an undergraduate program allows us
MSL Deputy Director Thomas Barnes describes the tank as “the Boswell, were honored as Fellows by the American Society of Civil to be more comprehensive in our approach.
most advanced of its kind in the world.” The tank is used to Engineers (ASCE). “I can see many exciting job opportunities resulting from
study wave action and to design ships. The renovation increases this. Students will be sought after for jobs” in areas such as
CO M BI N E D A N N UA L RE PO RT • 2005- 2007
CO M BI N E D A N N UA L RE PO RT • 2005- 2007
the size of world’s fastest high-speed towing tank from 12-feet financial industries, health care and consulting, Wetzel adds.
Seniors Study Security
S TE VE N S I N S TI T UT E O F TE CH N O L O GY
wide and 6-feet deep to 16-feet wide and 8-feet deep, as well She believes the work in cybersecurity will lead students to
as enhancing its electronics and instrumentation. During the appreciate other opportunities in the field of computer sci-
renovation groups from Stevens have traveled to other US tanks A number of senior design projects this year also focused on ence.
to conduct research. improving security: Wetzel and fellow Computer Science Professor Rebecca
The Davison Laboratory has received two welcome addi- Wright developed the new program with funding from the
tions: ● One group of engineers created the Mobile Streaming Video, National Science Foundation. Stevens recognized the two,
a system that includes a camera and laptop, with Internet who collaborate on numerous projects, for their role as
● A tow-carriage mounted, computer-controlled instrument that access, in police cars, with wireless connectivity and near faculty members with the conferral of honorary degrees in
superimposes unsteady motions on a towed model advancing real-time video streaming back to headquarters. The video Engineering. The renovated Davidson Lab testing tank (top); Dr. Alan F. Blumberg;
at forward speed. The addition of the Planar Motion Mechanism gives dispatchers images of the scene so they can better Wetzel will co-chair the eCrime Researchers Summit Professor Subbalakshmi (r) and Professor R. Chandramouli attend a
(PMM) to the high-speed towing tank expands the scope of assess a situation and decide whether assistance is needed. (eCrime 2008), the world’s premier conference for basic and Disruptive Technologies Round Table.
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